NGO asks EC to clarify elections in Tamale and Yendi

Tamale, June 07, GNA - The Centre for Human Rights Education and Advocacy (CHREA), a local, NGO has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to clarify its position on the Mwetropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly elections in Tamale and Yendi this year. In a letter to the Commission, signed by Mr Issah Mahamudu, Executive Director of CHREA, copied to the press noted that during the 2002 Assemblies elections, the elections in Tamale and Yendi were postponed for security reasons.

The letter said in place of the elections, Interim Management Committees were appointed to administer the two assemblies until August 2005 when elections were held in those areas.

The NGO noted that the law on District Assembly Elections was quite explicit that assembly elections should be held every four years. "It is against this background that we consider it imperative to bring the issue of the tenure of the Tamale and Yendi assemblies to your attention for consideration, since members of these assemblies have only served 10 months out of the four years statutory mandated tenure," CHREA said.

The NGO also noted that stakeholders including civil society organisations and individuals had begun preparations at the district and community levels to ensure an effective participation of the citizenry, particularly women and persons with disabilities, in the decentralization process.

The NGO said in furtherance of this objective, the stakeholders were committing huge resources without being assured whether the elections would be held in the two assemblies like the rest of the country where the assemblies had served their full four-year term. It noted that it was important to consider the high poverty level in these areas alongside the huge financial burden and the sacrifices candidates had made towards the elections.

"It would therefore not be appropriate to hold the assembly elections in Tamale and Yendi because their four-year tenure has not elapsed."

"We are therefore, appealing to the Electoral Commission to clarify this issue and let the electorate in Tamale and Yendi have access to this vital information on the District Assembly elections in their respective assemblies," the NGO said.